Liz Mills, Craft Talk

Liz Mills is our newest Young Professionals Member. She grew up in Reseda and was in Rotaract in college, as were most of her friends. She tended the University of San Diego.

To pursue a more international experience, she attended the University of Bradford, England (west of London), where she met people from all over the world. Many of them were Muslims, a contrast with her Christian upbringing, and many of them had been born in refugee camps.

She has recently begun working at Peninsula high school in Palos Verdes, in the AVID Program (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a nonprofit organization focused on closing the academic achievement gap by preparing underrepresented students for college and other postsecondary opportunities. AVID’s philosophy is to hold students to the highest standards while providing academic and social support, so they can rise to this challenge. The program trains educators in using practices to prepare students for future academic success, using research-based strategies and curriculum. It teaches skills and behaviors for academic success, supported by tutorials and student-teacher relationships, creating positive peer groups, and developing a sense of hope for personal achievement from hard work and determination.

Liz has a strong interest in international and intercultural relations. She is interested in participating in a Peace Corps program, to either Samoa or Uganda.